The U.S. ranks 57th in electoral process and pluralism

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, 2008, the United States has a score of 8.75 out of 10 in the measurement of electoral process and pluralism, which measures the fairness of elections as well as the free choice of candidates, and the transparency of campaigns. This score makes the United States tied for fifty-seventh, with Japan, South Africa, Israel, Argentina, Peru, and Guatemala.

The top-ranked country, all of which had a score of 10, are Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Australia, and Uruguay.

The U.S. ranks 73rd in dairy spending

According to the USDA, Americans spend, on average, 8.59% of their food expenditures on dairy products, which makes the United States rank seventy-third out of 114 countries in that category.

Pakistan ranks first, with per capita dairy expenditures at 26.84% of total food expenditures. Sierra Leone ranks last, with per capita dairy expenditures at 1.13% of total food expenditures.

The world average is 9.60% in that category. The country closest to the world average is Peru, at 9.62%.

The U.S. ranks 7th in silver

According to the British Geological Survey, in 2006 the United States produced 1,139,500 kilograms of silver from mining, or 5.7% of the world’s total, enough to make the United States rank seventh in that category. Peru ranked first, producing 3470,725 kilograms, or 17.3% of the world total.

The U.S. ranks 6th in asparagus exports

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, in 2006 the United States accounted for 3% of the world’s asparagus exports, enough to make it rank sixth in that category. Peru, which ranked first, accounted for 40% of the word’s asapargus exports.

The U.S. ranks 32nd for built-up land

According to the Global Footprint Network, the United States is tied for thirty-second (with Laos, Macedonia, Peru, Burkina Faso, Kyrgyzstan, Jordan, Latvia, Belarus, Italy, Albania, and Egypt) in terms of global  hectare per capita of built up land. Belgium ranks first.